Latest Yoga tablet has a new hang mode

Is there a more appropriate name for a line of tablet PCs than Yoga? While you ponder that one, take note that Lenovo just expanded its Yoga Tablet 2 family with the new Yoga 13-inch Tablet 2 with Windows. Joining its 8-inch and 10-inch Windows-based brethren, Lenovo's latest slate is not only the largest, but also the most flexible in that it boasts a new mode -- Hang.

Landmark verdict by Italian Supreme Court concludes 9-year-old case

In late 2005, an Italian citizen named Marco Pieraccioli, who had just bought a Windows laptop from Hewlett-Packard, took the then world’s leading PC vendor to court after the latter refused to issue a refund for the accompanying Windows XP Home Edition license that he had no need of. Almost nine years later, Pieraccioli has finally secured the €140.00 refund (plus interest and costs) that he was after.

Hey look, it's Ashton Kutcher

Why's Ashton Kutcher hanging around Lenovo, you ask? The short answer, quite simply, is marketing. But the longer answer is that he joined Lenovo as a product engineer a year ago and purportedly helped develop the Yoga Tablet 2 Pro, one of three new products Lenovo just rolled out. The other two are the non-pro version of the Yoga Tablet and the Yoga 3 Pro, an ultraslim convertible.

Windows 10 will go up against Windows 7, not Windows 8/8.1

Now that Microsoft has unveiled Windows 10 and is even serving up a Technical Preview for curious folks to check out, Windows 8 is already feeling like old news. Some felt that way even before Microsoft's announcement, which might explain why Windows 8 lost market share in the desktop OS market in the month of September. At this rate, it won't be long before Windows 8's share drops back into single digits.

Retail PC sales rise up on Chromebook and Mac shipments

As we've said time and again, the PC sector is alive is well. According to NPD Group, retail PC sales grew nearly 3 percent during the 10-week back-to-school shopping season that went from July 4th through Labor Day week), compared to a 2.5 percent decline in the same period a year ago. Where things get interesting is when you break down those sales to look for trends in consumer spending.

Theoretically, almost any app can be ported

When Google first announced Chrome OS in 2009, among the few people who were polite enough to not dismiss it outright, and predict for it either a stillbirth or an early demise, were those who saw a merger with Android as its ultimate fate. Of course, let alone a full-blown merger, we have yet to see substantial interplay between the two platforms. The best we have seen, all these years down the line, is the ability to run a grand total of four Android apps on Chrome OS — and that too is a very recent development. Even now, Google is only working with “a select group of Android developers” and is unlikely to bring more than a handful of mobile apps to Chrome OS in the near future. Well, that’s what hacks are for, right?

A keyboard that doesn't play favorites

Microsoft beefed up its hardware portfolio today, and two of the more notable items consist of a universal mobile keyboard that works with Windows, iOS, and Android devices, and a wired Xbox One controller for Windows. For those of you looking for a new rodent, the company also released an Arc Touch Bluetooth mouse and a Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 Limited Edition.

Microsoft must issue a written statement to China within 20 days

Around the same time China banned Windows 8 from government use over concerns that there could be built-in spying mechanisms, authorities also began investigating Microsoft for antitrust violations. The latest in China's antitrust probe over Microsoft's business practices has the State Administration for Industry and Commerce giving the Redmond outfit 20 days to issue a written explanation. What for, you ask?

Cleaning is good for the Store

It’s easy to be overwhelmed when searching for applications on the various platforms out there. If it is not due to various apps having similar names then it is the ones that are copycats or even fraudulent. Well, Microsoft announced that it has removed 1,500 apps from its Windows Store in an attempt to make finding things easier and provide better quality and choice.

China's own operating system could be ready by October

After banning Microsoft's Windows 8 software for use on government PCs, China is now reportedly planning to cook up its own operating system. The home brewed OS could see a launch as early as October, and it would have the full backing of the Chinese government. China's motivation in building an OS of its own is to alleviate concerns that imported software from the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Apple could have spying mechanisms built into the code base.